| Some people work at their jobs because they have | | | | executive with senior level responsibility and |
| to make a living, and they get to express | | | | salary.Deb says her passion for diversity only |
| themselves after work. Some people have careers | | | | continues to grow. She was a founding member of |
| that they love, and have a hard time not taking | | | | the Conference Board Workforce Council on |
| home their work with them when they go home. | | | | Diversity 13 years ago . "I have never been around |
| And then there are successful people in the diversity | | | | anything else that keeps me stimulated 24 hours a |
| field. They have a passion for diversity and they live | | | | day. I rarely read anything that is not in the field. I |
| their work. Whether or not they take their work | | | | have a global vision and I want to help create the |
| home with them, their work is always driven by the | | | | kind of world that does not just tolerate differences, |
| values they live every day, and their lives are driven | | | | but one where people are truly respectful and |
| by the values they promote at work.When | | | | inclusive of other s, the kind of world that is healthy |
| organizations began to embrace diversity in the | | | | for our children."Edgar Quiroz is the Director of |
| 1980s, many of them thought that diversity training | | | | Workforce Diversity at Kaiser Permanente's National |
| was the answer. They thought that if every | | | | Diversity Department. He told me, "I really never |
| employee attended a diversity training class, biases, | | | | sought to get involved with diversity work, diversity |
| complaints and lawsuits would disappear and | | | | work got involved with me." He grew up in San |
| everyone would work together in harmony forever. | | | | Francisco in a diverse neighborhood with |
| There were two kinds of people engaged in diversity | | | | African-Americans, Asians, Caucasians and Latinos like |
| training, education and organizational development. | | | | himself. While attending high school in the 1970s he |
| There were those who thought of it as program or | | | | was active in community student leadership. "I |
| a trend. These people read a few books, took a | | | | organized youth in under served communities city |
| train-the-trainer class or bought one in the mail and | | | | wide to help them with jobs, careers, and educational |
| called themselves experts. The second group knew | | | | enhancement. Not one of my past job descriptions |
| that it was a process, not a one day program and | | | | ever included diversity as a duty, but I always |
| that in order to create change they needed to live it, | | | | managed to weave diversity work into my functions. |
| learn it and continually develop their passion for it. | | | | As a boy, my father and I walked the picket lines |
| They were cognizant of the need to integrate | | | | with Cesar Chavez in support of the UFW." He began |
| diversity into the business strategy of any | | | | working at SF General Hospital as a youth outreach |
| organization and the rest of their lives. They also | | | | worker. "I worked with young people who were |
| knew there were no quick fixes-that it took | | | | homeless, drug and alcohol addicted, prostitutes, |
| patience, and time-but change was possible.The first | | | | battered and abused.Today Edgar says he is |
| group lost interest and went on to something else | | | | privileged to be the Director of Workforce Diversity |
| but people in the second group are still here helping | | | | for Kaiser Permanente where he has worked for 20 |
| to create change They're working to create inclusive | | | | years. During this time he was a founding board |
| environments where all people can do their best | | | | member and past president of the Kaiser |
| work and have their individual skills and talents, | | | | Permanente Latino Association. "I chose Kaiser |
| recognized, appreciated and utilized.I wanted to know | | | | Permanente because their social mission on |
| more about this passion for diversity and where it | | | | community wellnes, diversity and cultural competency |
| came from. What drives some individuals to maintain | | | | are aligned with my own. My primary three areas of |
| their personal mission, vision and values despite | | | | involvement are: 1) Enhance the diversity, cultural |
| resistance, challenges and nay sayers. I interviewed | | | | competence, skill and performance of our workforce; |
| four people whose passion for diversity is so great | | | | 2) Provide culturally competent medical care and |
| it's like a magnetic force that continues to get | | | | culturally appropriate service to improve the health |
| stronger and attract everything in its path. These | | | | and satisfaction of our increasing diversity |
| four people are Terry Howard, Director of Diversity | | | | membership; 3) Grow our membership through |
| for Texas Instruments; Michele Atlas from | | | | effective market segmentation approaches that |
| Workforce Diversity Network; Deb Dagit, Executive | | | | target specific populations which are the fastest |
| Diversity Director at Merck; and, Edgar Quiroz, | | | | growing segments of our society".Diversity impacts |
| Director of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation at | | | | his personal life every day. His family is bi-racial, and it |
| Kaiser Permanente.I asked all of them, Why did you | | | | is important to him that they all know, embrace and |
| get involved in diversity? Here are their stories:Terry | | | | celebrate both his Latino culture and the |
| Howard, Director of Diversity at Texas Instruments, | | | | African-American culture. "My passion for diversity |
| has a long-standing and personal connection with | | | | has increased to a point that far exceeded any of |
| diversity. "As an African-American male, I've been | | | | my expectations. It's only gotten better and I |
| involved in and experienced diversity my entire life. | | | | maintain my lifetime relationships with mentors and |
| From a career standpoint, I actually got involved in | | | | colleagues. I love my work, and there is a lot more |
| this work by 'default.' During the mid 1980s, I | | | | work to do. As a country we have to pay more |
| managed a group charged with delivering | | | | attention to populations that have been ignored so |
| employment and EEO service for AT&T. Our client | | | | more people have access to quality health care. I |
| base was very diverse and that itself heightened my | | | | remain optimistic and hopeful. I am inspired by all |
| interest in this work. The challenge of fostering | | | | others who are also working for change."Michelle |
| awareness of that growing diversity and leveraging it | | | | Atlas began her career in Vocational Rehabilitation in |
| was most intriguing to me. In 1986, I read the | | | | Rochester, New York over 13 years ago. Seven |
| Hudson Institute report Workforce 2000. This ignited | | | | years ago, she was hired by the Rochester Business |
| me and I knew I wanted to help break new | | | | Alliance to create a new program to provide |
| ground."Terry's passion and his involvement in | | | | employment services to people with disabilities. After |
| diversity continue to grow. He now supports 15 | | | | the first year, she was asked to represent the |
| diversity affinity groups at Texas Instruments, as | | | | Rochester Business Alliance at the Workforce |
| well as the many business level diversity committees | | | | Diversity Network, an organization whose mission is |
| and their annual diversity conferences. "In between, I | | | | to create a nationwide learning network to support |
| write a monthly internal diversity column and issue | | | | organizations in learning more about the benefits of |
| periodic diversity tips on the full range of diversity | | | | diversity in the workplace, and is expanding to other |
| topics, and I speak on diversity and inclusion at | | | | areas in the USA "I didn't know a lot about other |
| meetings and retreats internally and externally ." | | | | areas of diversity beyond disability, but as I began to |
| Recently he founded the Diversity Connection | | | | learn about all the other dimensions, diversity and |
| Symposium for Texas Diversity Professionals, a | | | | inclusion became so important to me and I kept |
| group consisting of representatives from Shell Oil, | | | | learning and expanding my knowledge base about |
| Price Waterhouse, First American, Intel, Intuit, JC | | | | every component." As a representative, Michele got |
| Penny, Delotte and others and delivered talks in | | | | to meet diversity leadership in various kinds of |
| France and China. He takes his passion for diversity | | | | organizations. She learned more about diversity |
| and inclusion to the community, having participated in | | | | initiatives and issues that organizations were dealing |
| a community march against hate. "One of the things | | | | with. "I felt a very strong affinity for this work. I |
| I'm most proud of is my role in the successful | | | | went from being a representative to the Diversity |
| integration of religion and faith in the workplace amid | | | | Workforce Network to serving on the board and |
| lots of skepticism." He said that people were still | | | | becoming a part time staff member; working with |
| talking about the standing room only session "When | | | | the Executive director, and coordinating membership |
| Traditional Religion Meets Sexual Orientation". When | | | | and organizing our national conference. I love the |
| asked what drives him his reply was, "My passion is | | | | spirit of the other people who do this kind of work. |
| driven by my curiosity about the far-reaching | | | | My passion comes from being a part of something |
| implications of diversity and getting organizations to | | | | that is so good for the world at so many levels. I'm |
| see that connection. It never stops."Deb Dagit, | | | | excited by other cultures, and I am part of an |
| Executive Director of Diversity for Merck, told me | | | | incredible program called the Mosaic Partnership |
| that she had lived months at a time from when she | | | | where leaders in our region are partnered with |
| was 11 to 16 in the Shriners Hospital to receive | | | | someone from a different race and participate in |
| treatment for a bone condition that resulted in | | | | group coaching sessions."Michelle talked about how |
| fractures and bone deformities. She was there with | | | | crucial it is for people in the health care field to be |
| other children who had bone and burn disabilities from | | | | culturally competent. Besides her part time work with |
| all over the world. "I became close to kids from all | | | | WDN, she consults, coaches and trains people who |
| over the world who were also living in the hospital | | | | employ people with disabilities to be more culturally |
| for months at a time, cut off from families and | | | | competent. "My learning points have been to honestly |
| "normal" life . I learned what we had in common was | | | | assess my own biases and to then be able to help |
| more significant than what was different, regardless | | | | other people assess their own and feel safe. Learning |
| of our cultural differences."During the time she spent | | | | about my own biases has been very liberating and |
| in public school she was separated from the rest of | | | | other people I work with have said that it is true for |
| her class as schools were not required to integrate | | | | them. If we want to move forward from diversity to |
| children with disabilities and therefore there were | | | | inclusion we have to identify our subtle biases and |
| many restrictions on how she was allowed to attend. | | | | work through them. I hope I never stop |
| She had to sit right next to the teacher's desk and | | | | learning."Although these four individuals are from |
| was not allowed to go to recess or lunch with the | | | | different industries and came to diversity work from |
| other kids. In describing her experiences she says, | | | | different experiences and backgrounds, they share |
| "Because of how I was treated, I related to other | | | | certain qualities and experiences that contribute to |
| kids who were also seen as needing extra attention | | | | their passion for diversity. From Deb's voracious |
| from the teacher, whether for behavioral issues or | | | | reading of diversity books to Michele's personal |
| learning challenges . Issues of fairness, respect and | | | | involvement with the Mosaic Partnership, we see that |
| inclusion became very important to me as I observed | | | | these four remarkable individuals have all cultivated |
| who was singled out and how this caused them to | | | | lifestyles that support their passion for diversity. |
| be treated by other members of the class ." After | | | | They live and breathe diversity-both coming from |
| graduation, Dagit tutored people who immigrated | | | | diverse backgrounds and seeking out diverse |
| from Vietnam after the war. She saw how they | | | | interactions and experiences. They have all adopted |
| struggled to learn the language, culture, and to fit in | | | | learning orientations so they can continue to develop |
| with other kids.She explained that there is a | | | | their own cultural competence and help others to do |
| disproportionate number of people with disabilities | | | | the same. Moreover, as we saw with Edgar's work |
| who are veterans and who are from minority | | | | with underserved communities and Terry's work with |
| backgrounds for a variety of reasons , and that | | | | "Traditional Religion Meets Sexual Orientation" in the |
| along with diversity issues amongst people with | | | | workplace, the passion of these four diversity |
| disabilities who come from different backgrounds, | | | | leaders is driven by a lot of 'Cs': courage, concern, |
| there are diversity issues around different types of | | | | and commitment to diversity initiatives. Be it Terry's |
| disabilities. "Some disabilities are more stigmatized than | | | | commitment to helping organizations understand the |
| others," she noted.Her experiences inspired her to | | | | implications of diversity, Deb's global goals for a |
| become a diversity leader. She traveled to | | | | better world, Edgar's views on what this country |
| Washington DC and spoke to lawmakers about the | | | | needs to better meet the health needs of its diverse |
| importance of passing the ADA and fought against | | | | population, or Michele's emphasis on breaking down |
| weakening amendments . "During that time I thought | | | | barriers through helping people safely address their |
| about struggles and victories like Brown vs. the Board | | | | own biases, this is truly a visionary group of |
| of Education and the Voting Rights Act, and the | | | | professionals. Most importantly, their visions are |
| importance of civil rights for all people. This | | | | long-term, powerful, and important ones that they |
| experience also caused her to realize the importance | | | | consistently move forward a day at a time. These |
| of 'reasonable accommodation' for all employees as a | | | | are the kinds of diversity leaders that we need |
| foundation for what are now called 'work | | | | working in rganizations of all kinds.For an organization |
| environment' initiatives.""In my first corporate job out | | | | to successfully leverage the diversity of its |
| of college I was told very matter of factly that I | | | | organization to improve its performance three |
| would never get beyond an 8 or 9 dollar and hour | | | | concurrent imperatives must be in place. First, |
| entry level job. After about 5-6 years I began to | | | | diversity must be part of your overall business |
| realize that they were serious about this low ceiling, | | | | strategy and, secondly, your organization must move |
| so l left the corporate world for four years and I | | | | from representation and numbers to inclusion at |
| worked in the non-profit sector primarily on disability | | | | every level. Finally, you will only be successful if you |
| issues . As comfortable and engaging as it was to be | | | | bring in diversity leaders who not only have |
| with my "tribe," I knew that to effect real systemic | | | | knowledge of but a passion for diversity.Simma |
| changes more broadly. it needed to be from the | | | | Lieberman is a consultant and speaker who helps |
| inside out, companies nee d to see diversity and | | | | organizations create more profitable cultures. She |
| inclusion as important to the success of their business | | | | specializes in Diversity and Inclusion, Gender |
| and consistent with the workplace ethics and | | | | Communication and Power Living. Contact Simma to |
| corporate social responsibility values the espouse. | | | | help your organization and the people in it be more |
| When I re-entered the private sector it was as an | | | | successful. |